About Us
BirdHouse Magazine is a literary/artistic organization whose mission is to push the bounds of modern writing and art, and find a haven in the oddities that result from expanding one’s craft.
“Homogeneity is a crime”. BirdHouse seeks to establish a literary/art magazine devoted to the artistic extreme, devoted to the recreation of artistic structures based off of the severe experimentation of the medium, rather than the acceptance of its moderacy and amalgamations to social structures. If a submission is “odd”, “weird”, or procures some sort of misgivings as to if it would even fit in, then rest assured that you have found the right place.
Inspired by the fierce passion of modernists in the early 20th century to break from the clear-cut storytelling and formulaic verse of traditional literature, BirdHouse aims to revitalize this rebellious nature in its editions and the local literary/art community. We welcome and encourage submissions from all groups and identities: craving diverse ideas and experiences, but also searching for distinctive ways that the experimentation of the work varies with one’s background.
We seek stories, poems, and art that are “eccentric”: pieces which deviate from their respective, mainstream mediums and experiment with form, content, character, setting, mood, language, and composition. We seek pieces that are not afraid to push beyond the status quo, pieces that introduce previously unexpressed views and concepts to enhance the modern literary/artistic canon.
Regardless of the content it publishes, at the end of the day, BirdHouse has one goal: to aid emerging writers/artists. BirdHouse wishes to be a spotlight for emerging writers/artists, a lighthouse that shines a light on their work and aids them in their personal endeavors.
Of course, with all this said, a question naturally pops-up:
Why should you submit to BirdHouse?
- We support and guide emerging writers/artists
Many emerging writers/artists who are eager to get their work published quickly come to realize how broken the modern publication industry is. The modern publication industry serves writers who are “profitable” — not necessarily experts nor people who experiment in their craft. Although many promise aid for emerging artists/writers, ultimately many emerging writers/artists are rejected time after time again; lessening the opportunities where they may learn from either successful or failed experiences. Here at BirdHouse, we aim to be a platform for emerging writers/artists. Whether it’s their first or thousandth publication, BirdHouse aims to give each and every writer an appropriate opportunity to let their work shine; we also provide tips/suggestions for future submissions!
2. We provide exposure for emerging writers/artists
Albeit a rather new publication, BirdHouse offers multiple avenues through which writers can have their work showcased. Whether it’s here on Medium, Twitter, Instagram, our website, physical copies of our editions (hopefully to come in the near future!), the local literary community, as well as a multitude of bookstores in the Twin Cities area, emerging writers can rest assured that their work is being showcased all around.
3. We don’t shun oddity: we embrace it.
Unfortunately, many publications — both here on Medium or on other platforms — fear oddity. Many publications feel that by publishing something quaint, exotic, out of the modern literary canon, explicit, graphic, thought-provoking, or “weird”, they might lose a sense of prestige associated with their publications; there exists a fear that they shall no longer be held to high regards. Here at BirdHouse, however, we embrace the unexpected and odd. In fact, our whole magazine is founded on creating a set of editions where writers/artists can experiment in their respective mediums and in turn, create pieces that may expand the modern literary canon. Never be afraid to submit a piece that you believe won’t “fit in”; it’s best to stand out than to follow the herd.
Regardless, join us here at BirdHouse to create a community of emerging writers/artists from all around the world, and let us see your fantastic work!
Best,
The BirdHouse Editorial Team
